Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism (C677T) in relation to homocysteine concentration in overweight and obese Thais

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2005 Mar;36(2):459-66.

Abstract

We analyzed the association between MTHFR (C677T) gene polymorphism with serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 in 37 male and 112 female overweight/ obese Thai volunteers (BMI > or = 25.00 kg/m2), and compared them with 23 male and 90 female control subjects (BMI = 18.5-24.99 kg/m2). Statistically significant higher levels of serum homocysteine were found in the overweight/obese subjects than the control subjects (p < 0.05). Serum folic acid levels in the overweight/obese subjects were significantly lower than the control subjects (p < 0.05). When the data were grouped according to homocysteine concentration and MTHFR gene polymorphism, there were significantly higher homocysteine concentrations in the overweight/obese subjects than the control subjects in wild type gene polymorphism (CC) in the hyperhomocysteine group (homocysteine >10.0 mmol/l) (p < 0.05), but in genotype polymorphism (CC, CT, TT) there were lower folic acid and vitamin B12 concentrations in the overweight/obese subjects than in the control subjects. In the hyperhomocysteine groups, there was no significant difference in the frequencies of MTHFR (C677T) gene polymorphism between the overweight/obese subjects and the control subjects. Folic acid and gene polymorphism were found to be significantly related to the overweight/ obese and control groups in logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). The results support the supposition that folic acid is more important than vitamin B12.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Body Weight
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay
  • Folic Acid / blood
  • Homocysteine / blood*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / genetics*
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / blood
  • Obesity / enzymology*
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Thailand
  • Vitamin B 12 / blood

Substances

  • Homocysteine
  • Folic Acid
  • Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)
  • Vitamin B 12